Mobile vehicle with load boom and mobile stabilizer



Dec. 22, 1953 J. A. LE CLAIR 2,663,433

MOBILE VEHICLE WITH LOAD BOOM AND MOBILE STABILIZER Filed April 15, 195o2 sneeis-sheet 1 Dec. 22, 1953 J. A. LE CLAIR 2,663,433

MOBILE VEHICLE WITH LOAD BOOM AND MOBILE STABILIZER Filed April l5,19,50 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Batentecl Dec. 22, 1953 MOBILE VEHICLE WITH LOADBOOM AND MOBILE STABILIZER Joseph A. Le Clair, Lewiston, MaineApplication April 15, 1950, Serial No. 156,063

2 Claims. l

This invention relates to vehicles of the type which carry a boom or armcapable of being raised and lowered to lift or carry loads and of beingturned about a vertical axis so as to pick up and deliver a load ateither side or in front or rear of the vehicle. Vehicles in the categoryto which the invention relates include cranes, designed to run on railsor on the ground, power shovels, tractor cranes, trucks equipped withbooms adapted to serve as cranes, iire ladder trucks with extensionladders, and other vehicles of analogous character. The essentialcharacteristics of such vehicles is that they are mobile, usually beingpropelled by self contained motive equipment, and have swiveled arms orbooms which can be swung laterally and raised and lowered. In the caseof an extension ladder truck, the ladder is considered as a loadcarrying boom, the load being the firemen who climb up and down on theladder and the persons who are rescued from burning buildings by theliremen.

The object of the invention is to provide in connection with suchvehicles stabilizing means which is also movable with the vehicledisposed so as to afford an additional support, or broadened base at theside to which the load carry ing arm extends; which, by being movablewith the vehicle, enables the position of the vehicle to be shiftedwithout requiring any adjustment of the arm or of any stationary base.

Two embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings,one being a steam driven railroad crane, and the other being a firedepartment truck equipped with an extension ladder which is pivoted atone end to a turntable arranged to turn about a vertical axis.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 shows a front view of the railroad crane above referred todisposed with its load lifting boom extending squarely to one side andin a lowered position;

Fig. 2 is a detail View on a larger scale showing part of a stabilizerfor the crane and a wheel mounted detachably on the stabilizer; part ofthe structural combination being broken away and shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. '4 is a cross section taken on line 4 6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of a iire department truckequipped with an extension ladder and stabilizers;

Fig. 6 is a cross section of the truck on line '6-6 of Fig. 5, and anelevation of the parts at the rear of that line, showing the ladderelevated and one of its mobile stabilizers extended to give lateralsupport to the truck;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail View of one of the lateral stabilizersshowing it extended in operative position;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. "I showing the stabilizer in theposition which it occupies when not needed for imparting stability;

Fig. 9 is a side view of the stabilizer as seen from the right oi Fig.7, and a section on line 9--9 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a sectional plan view taken on line lili0 of Fig. '7.

Like reference characters designate the same parts wherever they occurin all the gures.

The railroad crane shown in Fig. 1 is a standard machine having a bodyll, flanged wheels I2. designed to run on railroad tracks, and aturn-table I3 on which an engineers cab I4 and hoisting machinery i5 aremounted and to which one end of an arm or boom l5 is connected by apivot i1 so that it can be raised and lowered. The details of thehoisting machinery, load line, boom line, and mechanism for rotating theturntable involve nothing novel and need not be described although, inpassing, it may be remarked that a large gear wheel i8 secured coaxiallyto the turn-table is shown as part of the means for rotating it.

The invention comprises the combination of the crane, whether of thedesign here shown or of a different design, with a traveling stabilizeror lateral support. The stabilizer in the present illustration comprisesa strong and rigid beam I9 connected to the crane body il so that it canbe extended laterally to either side or retracted, and a wheel 2@ on theouter end or the beam.

The means for connecting the stabilizer beam adjustably to the bodycomprise a pair of inner lugs 2| near the longitudinal center line ofthe body and a pair of outer lugs 22 near the side boundary of the body;these lugs being rigidly secured to the under side of the body. The lugsof each pair are separated widely enough to permit the beam i9 to bepassed between them. They are longer than the depth dimension of thebeam and carry bolts 23 in their lower ends on which the beam rests andon which nuts are threaded whereby the lugs can be tightened up to clampthe beam.

Similar inner lugs 2 la and 22a are provided at the opposite sides ofthe center line of the crane to permit placement of the beam inextension to the opposite side.

The wheel 2o is detaehabiy mounted on the beam i9 and is connected withadjusting means whereby it may be raised or lowered as may be needed forleveling purposes. The attaching means for the wheel comprises a housing243 having a neck portion 25 which embraces the beam with a sliding rltand is provided with bolts 28 and nuts 2l whereby it is clamped to thebeam. A pin or bolt 2d is passed through alined holes in the oppositesides of the neck and in the web portion of beam lil near the outer endof the latter to furnish complete security against possible slipping.

A block 2S, carrying a pivot 3d on which the wheel 2c is mounted, isfitted to slide vertically inside a widened part of the housing 2i.which projects beyond the end of beam le. Complemental tongues 3l and 32on parts of the housing and groove in adjacent parts of the block 2eassist in guiding the block.

Two screws 33 pass through the block in threaded engagement with tappedholes in the latter and are journaled at their ends in the top andbottom walls of the housings, being prevented from displacement endwiseby collars which abut against the inner sides of the walls. The upperends of the crews carry gears 3i in mesh with a driving gear 35 on astud shaft journaled between the screws in the top wall of the housing.The stud shaft has a squared end portion on which a wrench can be placedlor turning it so as to raise and lower the wheel.

As here shown, the wheel 2% is a steel wheel formed with two flangesadapted to run on a railroad rail. When the crane is used in a railroadyard containing many tracks, this stabilizing wheel can be placed on thenearer rail oi an adjacent track. Or, in other situations where a manentrail at one side is not available, a rail can be laid on the ground tosupport it.

However, other types of wheel equipped with hard rubber tires, orpneumatic tires, can be provided equipped to bear directly on theground.

With this stabilizer, the crane can be moved forward and back while theboorn with a s 1spended load overhangs at the same side as thestabilizer. lt is not necessary to swing the boom to a mid 'fore and aftposition or remove any blocking from beneath the beam l and replace anyblocking after the crane has been moved to a different position. Thecombination of the traveling stabilizer with the crane simplifies thelabor of the people who operate it and makes its use much more rapid andecient.

The ladder truck shown in Figs. 5 and 6 typiiies other load-arm carryingvehicles which are normally designed to run directly on the groundwithout tracks. The body of the truck is shown at 35, the cab at 3l',and one o1 the front wheels at 3E in 5. Fig. 6 shows both rear wheels 39and one of which is shown in part on a larger scale in Fig. 7.

turn-table il is mounted on the truck body and the base or" a longextension ladder l2 is pivoted to the turn-table at d3. Standardmechanism driven by the power unit oi the truck s provided to rotate theturn-table and to raise the ladder from a horizontal position and lowerit. Part of the mechanism for the latter purpose is shown here as ahydraulic cylinder ifi connnected to the ladder structure and a plungerconnected to the turn-table.

When the ladder is turned to one side of the truck at a low angle oielevation, a strong force tending to overturn the truck is exerted,particularly if men are on the ladder. To coun- .1 terbalanoe suchoverturning force, I have provided a stabilizer wheel dl and means forconnecting the wheel to the body with provisions for placement inoperative and inoperative positions and for adjustment up and down whenin the operative position.

The wheel is mounted on a stud axle 'te connected to a block or pistonel which has a sliding nt in the housing. The housing in turn isprovided with two laterally projecting lugs es at its upper end, betweenwhich one end oi a link 5l is connected by a pivot 52. The opposite endof the link 5l enters between the ends of two parallel channel bars 53and Eil and is connected to them by a pivot e These Vchannel bars extendfrom side to side across the lower part of the width of the truck bodyand both ends protrude. The link 5l is pivoted to the protruding ends ofthe bars at one side of the body and a similar link, forming part of asimilar stabilizer combination, is pivoted to the protruding ends at theopposite side of the body.

A brace exten between the pivot 522 and a bracket Eil secured to theside oi the truck body above the space between the bars and dit. Thisbrace is collapsible, being formed of two links t?? and Eil, the formeroi which is pivoted at 5d to the bracket and the latter is connected tothe hou` ng dit by the pivot 52. Their adjacent ends overlap and areconnected by a pivot d. Pivots 5,2 and 5S are located at approximatelyequal distances irorn the pivot d and the links 5l and iid areapproximately equal in length. Thereby the parts are enabled to fold upinto the position shown in lfig. 8 where the stabilizer is close to theside of the truck body with its wheel above the step 6i at the side ofthe vehicle and, consequently, well clear oi the ground. Any desiredholding means can be provided to retain the stabilizer' in its raisedand collapsed position. For example, a hook 52 may be pivoted on anextension of the pivot 5:@ and arranged to catch over an extension ofthe pivot 52.

When the brace is extended the links 5l and 58, which are then broughtinto line, are prevented frorn collapsing by a sleeve 63 whic surroundsthe link el and is tted to slide thereon and across the joint t0. It maybe noted that the links are reduced to half their width at the endswhich overlap, so that their comb-ined thickness is no greater at thejoint than elsewhere. Thus the sleeve is enabled to slide from a raisedposition on link 5l when the brace is collapsed to a position where itextends to equal distances at each side or" the joint, and in which itis arrested by a stop et.

The means for adjusting the stabilizer wheel t5! vertically are similarin this combination to that in the one previously described. Twothreaded rods and te pass through threaded holes in the block or pistonfil and are journaled in the heads of housing it with provisions forpreventing their endwise movement. They carry gears El on their upperends which mesh with a comrnon driving gear t3 to which a crank @il issecured.

This stabilizer can be easily and quickly extended for use when needarises to turn the ladder to one side of the truck and place it at aninclination low enough such that its weight, or its weight plus a loadof a number of persons, would risk overturning the truck. It can remainin the extended position and roll over the ground when the truck needsto be shifted, as for bring- S ing the latter from one part to anotherof a burning building.

Various modications may be made from the structures here shown withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example,instead of using mechanical power, exerted manually, for raising andlowering the stabilizer wheel, steam or hydraulic power can be used. Therailroad crane is provided with a steam generator for providing power tooperate the crane, and may be provided with a steam cylinder and apiston carrying the stabilizer wheel and having supply and exhaustconnections for steam. Also the truck, which has a hydraulic pumpingmeans for operating the extension ladder, may be provided withconnections between such pumping means and the block or piston carryingthe stabilizer wheel for automatic power actuation.

What I claim is:

1. A mobile crane comprising a body, a turntable on the body rotatableabout a vertical axis, a boom pivoted to the turn-table so as to beraised and lowered, hoisting mechanism on the turn-table connected withthe boom for raising and lowering it and for suspending loads on theboom, a beam secured to the crane with provisions for adjustment so asto extend more or less far laterally from the crane, a housing securedto the outer end of said beam, a wheel holder mounted for verticalmovement in said housing, and including a laterally extending wheelpivot, a supporting wheel mounted rotatably on said pivot, and screwmechanism interengaged with the wheel holder and housing for adjustingthe wheel holder and housing vertically.

2. A mobile crane comprising a body, a turntable on the body rotatableabout a vertical axis, a boom pivoted to the turn-table so as to beraised and lowered, hoisting mechanism on the turn-table connected withthe boom for raising and lowering it and for suspending loads on theboom, a beam secured to the crane with provisions for adjustment so asto extend more or less far laterally from the crane, a wheel holdermounted for vertical movement on said beam at the outer end thereof, aWheel rotatably mounted on said holder to rotate about an axis parallelto the axis of said beam, and means carried by said beam for adjustingthe wheel and holder vertically.

JOSEPH A. LE CLAIR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 560,086 Dobkins May 12, 1896 754,546 Deady Mar. 15, 1904884,960 Suiter Apr. 14, 1908 1,432,378 Bailly Oct. 17, 1922 1,519,117Cochran Dec. 16, 1924 1,529,069 Lehman et al. Mar. 10, 1925 1,782,406Bureau Nov. 25, 1930 1,873,433 Larsen Aug, 23, 1932

